Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Tinto and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Tinto and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,664 in Rio Tinto versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,416 in Rio Tinto versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,168 in Rio Tinto versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Rio Tinto is roughly 31% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio Tinto is 24% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 €9.92

$4.70 ฿154

143.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.6

$45.37 ฿1,488

28.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 €8.18

$8.43 ฿276

11.86%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.73

$2.93 ฿96.0

-31.74%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.87

$0.69 ฿22.48

213.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.37 ฿12.04

310.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 €2.02

$2.41 ฿79.0

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.07

$3.72 ฿122

-4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.92

$2.23 ฿73.2

-52.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.83 ฿60.1

-9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.17 ฿71.1

-21.20%

Eggs

$3.03 €2.63

$2.21 ฿72.6

37.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 €9.69

$19.74 ฿647

-43.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 €6.12

$3.63 ฿119

94.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.46 €13.41

$13.53 ฿444

14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.28 ฿107

-23.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.61 ฿52.8

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.76

$2.41 ฿79.0

-15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.11

$2.08 ฿68.3

16.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.53 ฿50.1

-14.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.48 ฿48.56

22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.37

$0.99 ฿32.42

58.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.51 ฿16.73

56.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 €5.26

$4.41 ฿144

37.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 €5.10

$19.38 ฿636

-69.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.78 ฿58.3

-35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.99

$2.71 ฿88.9

-15.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.37 ฿44.96

72.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 €36.19

$11.39 ฿374

266.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 €3.42

$3.02 ฿99.0

30.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.65

$0.99 ฿32.61

-24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.41 €12.50

$14.10 ฿462

2.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.36 ฿44.68

51.47%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.6K €30.0K

$28.2K ฿924.7K

22.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.3K €33.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

16.54%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$136 €118

$122 ฿3,991

12.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.62 €19.62

$13.57 ฿445

66.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.67 €38.75

$18.31 ฿600

143.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 €37.71

$60.2 ฿1,975

-27.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.16

$8.69 ฿285

8.17%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$286 €248

$693 ฿22.7K

-58.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,450 €7,330

$15.7K ฿514.4K

-46.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €94.0

$59.5 ฿1,952

81.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.46 €31.63

$34.77 ฿1,140

4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 €78.5

$115 ฿3,758

-21.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €95.1

$83.3 ฿2,731

31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 €792

$613 ฿20.1K

48.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 €630

$437 ฿14.3K

66.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 €1,252

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-31.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,005

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-23.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,167 €2,747

$3,749 ฿122.9K

-15.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,204 €1,912

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-15.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,302 €1,130

$508 ฿16.7K

156.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.33

-28.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio Tinto: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Rio Tinto and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio Tinto pays 156% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Rio Tinto vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $293, with Rio Tinto cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rio Tinto vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Rio Tinto pays 156% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $913 in Rio Tinto versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Rio Tinto versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rio Tinto pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,664 in Rio Tinto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rio Tinto. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio Tinto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rio Tinto and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Rio Tinto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.